


Sorrier Than I Yet Know

by temporarily_lost_at_sea



Category: Temeraire - Naomi Novik
Genre: Gen, Gen or Pre-Slash, M/M, Possibly Pre-Slash
Language: English
Status: Completed
Published: 2014-10-14
Updated: 2014-10-14
Packaged: 2018-02-21 04:25:38
Rating: General Audiences
Warnings: No Archive Warnings Apply
Chapters: 1
Words: 702
Publisher: archiveofourown.org
Story URL: https://archiveofourown.org/works/2454641
Author URL: https://archiveofourown.org/users/temporarily_lost_at_sea/pseuds/temporarily_lost_at_sea
Summary: <blockquote class="userstuff">
              <p>The beginning of Thakay and Laurence's friendship, from Tharkay's point of view. Can be read as pre-slash.</p>
            </blockquote>





	Sorrier Than I Yet Know

Tharkay was not quite sure why he had accepted this commission. He had not meant to go back to Istanbul; since Sara’s engagement there was nothing for him there. But there had been something about Captain Laurence that had fascinated him. He had heard the story of course, of how he had somehow harnessed a Celestial and had been adopted by the Emperor of China. But as he stood before Tharkay, wearing a strange combination of somewhat shabby trousers and a Chinese coat, his neckcloth awkwardly crammed under its high collar, but with all the pride and dignity of a true British gentleman in full dress uniform, Tharkay had found it difficult to believe that such a man would have agreed to let himself be adopted by a foreign monarch. 

So before he knew it he had agreed to be their guide. Out of curiosity, he told himself, and nothing at all to do with Sara. And as they had begun their travel, his curiosity had only increased. The Celestial proved to be as different from its captain as it could possibly be, with an openness and naïve curiosity which clashed in an almost comical fashion with its captain’s formality. Yet the deep affection between the two was obvious and in his dealings with the dragon the captain seemed more human than Tharkay would ever have expected from a gentleman.

The situation had become even more curious the first time Captain Laurence was forced to put on The Robes. They had landed in a town for some food and water, but the local officials, suspicious of a Celestial travelling so far from Peking and with a group of foreigners to booth, began to clamour for paperwork they did not have. At last Mr. Granby suggested that they might be more forthcoming if Laurence were to don The Robes, an idea met by great enthusiasm from Temeraire and a murderous look from Laurence. The crew did a good job at hiding their hilarity as they laboriously wrapped their mortified captain in the heavily embroidered garment of imperial yellow silk, while Temeraire beamed at his captain’s splendour.  
As Laurence finally stepped out from behind Temeraire, his face grim and his posture prouder than ever to hide his embarrassment, Tharkay for a moment had no difficulty believing he was actually a prince. He carried the robes and the authority that came with them perfectly naturally and the Chinese officials immediately prostrated themselves on the ground before him. 

As the journey progressed, Tharkay began to suspect that Captain Laurence was not like any other gentleman he had ever met. He was every bit as stuck up, to be sure, but, unlike most others, his strict adherence to formality and duty stemmed from an honest and profound belief in the essential value of those ideals. A belief that was daily tested and questioned by his companionship with the Celestial. Tharkay found an almost guilty pleasure in encouraging Temeraire's revolutionary thinking, just to see Laurence fume and struggle to defend a system that he himself was slowly beginning to doubt.

Once they reached Istanbul, Tharkay was fully prepared to leave the company, having had his fun and fulfilled his promise. He made his final contribution to the mission and took Laurence to meet Mr. Maden. Only to further confuse the captain regarding his intentions, he told himself, and nothing at all to do with Sara or any desire to help. He had meant to leave directly after the dinner, but of course he had to make sure Captain Laurence made it safely back to the palace. And suddenly they were sitting there, out of breath and covered in muck and Laurence was offering him his hand and his loyalty. Tharkay had seen the deep respect and commitment which all of Laurence's men showed him and he had begun to understand the reason for this, but he'd never imagined it would extend to include him. He hesitated for a fraction of a second before reaching out to shake Laurence's hand, trying desperately to sound as unperturbed as usual, while finding himself reluctantly agreeing with Laurence's words:

“I think I would be sorrier to lose you than I yet know.”


End file.
